Attachment for looms



Nov. 25,1947. '1 L. PRATT 2,431,584

ambi Cv Nov. 25, 1947. J. l.. PRATT ATTACHMENT FOR LOOMS Filed Aug. 2l, 1946V 2 Shee'Ls-SheeI 2 l/lllllll//A r Irl- .INVENTOR Patented Nov. 25,n 1947 UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE ATTACHMENT FOR LOOMS John L. Pratt, Tyngsboro, Mass., assigner to Mary I. Pratt, Tyngsboro, Mass.

Application August 21, 1946, Serial No. 691,942

Claims. l

This invention relates to what are known as automatic bobbin shifting or transferring looms in which there is a magazine, which may be of the stationary or the rotary type, provided with transferring mechanism which at the appropriate time, usually when the filling is almost exhausted on a b-obbin in a shuttle, determined by feeling mechanism, causes a fullbobbin from the magazine to be transferred into the shuttle, ejecting such almost empty bobbin.

The bobbins for such looms usually have three rings which must be caused to engage with three vertical grooves in the jaws of a shuttle which grooves then hold the bobbin in place. Although there is a sloping member to assist in causing the bobbin to engage such slots at the jaw end of such a shuttle and there is usually a shuttle binder on one side of the shuttle raceway on the lay beam of the lay and there is also frequently a top stop in position to be a stop to position and limit the outward movement of the top end of the picker stick, all these parts in theory being so adjusted that when the shuttle is picked to the magazine side of the loom, it will always stop at a certain denite, correct position, the shuttle is often so much out of position that a transfer is not made or theibobbin is caught and held in the wrong position causing a smash or other damage as the shuttle is picked.

There is a picker stick associated with the lay which carries a picker to engage the shuttle and pick it across to the other side, this picker stick being caused to move inward on the picking stroke by means of a power strap and being returned to what might be called the outside position by a suitable spring known as a foot spring.

With the above construction, there is a waste of power and there is diiiiculty in properly adjusting the parts because the power strap mustrovercome not only the force of the picker stick returning or foot spring but must also disengage the shuttle from the shuttle binder.

The objects of this invention are to provide a device to replace the usual check strap for checking and holding the picker stick, such device being located between the shuttle binder and the power strap and being of such a character that the pressure on the shuttle binder can be reduced and the strength of the foot spring which returns the picker can be reduced, and thereby the power required can be reduced. `The top strap and check strap are not necessary but the power and lug strap or its equivalent is necessary. The picker stick, with its picker, is moved inward with a2 throwing action by the lug strap which then releases the picker stick and it is then moved outward by the foot spring. At a predetermined point the picker stick will be engaged by flat side springs and then by a spring pressed end bumper which it may move back slightly. However, when a shuttle is thrown forcibly back on a subsequent pick, the picker, the picker stick and the bumper are moved back by its impact, the picker stick being then :rmly held in the correct position by the end bumper and by the fiat side springs, the free ends of which at that time are parallel, diverge slightly or the bumper is held in place by a latch or latches which can be released only by the inward movement of the picker stick which allows the ends of these flat springs to move towards each other.

Some of the advantages are that it eliminates the present leather loop known as a check band or strap; cuts the cost of picker stick breakage; prolongs the life of the picker, and of the shuttle binder; reduces the breakage of shuttles and damage to full bobbins.

It also cuts down the waste of lling which sloughs or is thrown off of the bobbin and reduces lling waste on a transfer of a bobbin.

It eliminates what is known as a pick bound picker stick caused by too much pressure from the binder or other cause.

It cuts down the stopping of the loom for the foregoing reasons and therefore cuts costs and allows the speed of the loom to be increased. It eliminates the uneven throw of the shuttle in the reed space and breakage of yarn caused thereby.

Its particular purpose is to control the rebounding of the shuttle, the picker, and the picker stick in ordinary operation and also when the weaver is meeting the pattern, as it is called, when repairing breaks.

In the usual type of loom there is a spring associated with the shuttle binder and a foot spring to return the picker stick almost to its outside position in the shuttle box and a leather loop which is known as a check strap which by friction on the stick takes up some of the impact of a shuttle on a picker.

I accomplish my purpose by using two oppositely disposed converging at springs with a bumper between them which has a take up spring while in the preferred types I provide a stop which checks the inward movement of the bumper at a definite point which will thereby check the picker and its picker stick with its shuttle so that the shuttle is in the exact position for the rings of the new full bobbin to go directly into the slots in the shuttle jaws thus electing the spent bobbin and taking its place.

My device will also keep the picker stick aligned closely so that it will not run loosely sideways in the slot in the lay through which it passes. It will take the place of some of the friction retarding effect of the shuttle binder and particularly it will stop the picker stick together with the picker and shuttle in the exact position necessary for transfer.

In al1 forms of my device I provide a frame which is carried under the lay beam, preferably on hangers or brackets by which it can be adjusted in the direction of the race andit may be adjustable at right angles thereto. My device has flat leaf springs on each side, each attached at the inner end of this frame. These flat springs then converge towards each other and may then extend along nearly parallel with the direction of the movement of the picker stick.

Both fiat springs should be adjustable and` the frame may be provided with stop screws by which near their middle parts, the springs can be so regulated that the picker stick will just slip by, that being the closest point, the free ends of the springs then being free to move away from each other while the stick engages a bumper slidable in suitable guides in the frame and carried by a rod on which is a compression spring which assists the ends of the flat sp-rings in bringing the stick to a stop at the right place.

My construction with the special type of flat springs and with a spring actuated bumper will operate without any latches but the adjustment of the shuttle binder, of the leaf springs and of the bumper springs must be such that the shuttle binder will, by friction or otherwise, take up some of the inertia or impetus of the shuttle so that when it hits the picker, the picker will force back the picker stickl between the leaf springs which take up some more impetus until the Ypicker stick engages the bumper which will then yield just enough so that it comes to rest in the right position while the free ends of the leaf springs must be so adjusted that they will overcome the tendency of the bumper spring to lmove the bumper inward carrying with it of course the picker stick, the picker and the shuttle.

I prefer however to provide some kind of positive means to position the picker to hold it under spring pressure of the bunter spring, either from moving inward or outward.

I may provide stops to limit the outward movement of the bumper but to permit a slight amount of rebound to the shuttle, the picker, and the stick, I prefer to use latches to control its inward movement. Such latches may be carried by the frame or by the bumper and may be operated by the spreading motion of the free ends of the flat converging springs as the picker moves outward or by the latch or bolt sliding along the outside of such springs, the ends of which may diverge or by both such movements.

In either case, they are released by the inward movement of the pickerV stick at the b..- ginning of its pick as that permits the free ends of the flat springs to move towards each. other or to converge, the ends of these springs preferably acting as stops to Vpositivelylimit the inward movement of the bumper, the picker and theV shuttle with one type of spring latch.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a loom of a well known type in which spent bobbins are automatically replaced in a shuttle. It shows the lay,

lay beam, a shuttle and a picker stick with a well known mechanism for operating it. Other well known parts are omitted to avoid confusion.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation as from the right of Fig. 1, to show the relation between the lay, the picker stick, magazine and my device.

Fig. 3 is a diagramamtic plan view of my device with a picker stick and other parts in the position Where, the picker stick has completed its picking or inward motion.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the picker stick in the position it assumes when brought back by the foot spring.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Figs. 3 and 4, showing the position of the picker and other parts in an extreme outward position and when checked by stops fixed to the frame.

Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show a construction in which there is no latch, but in which there are inside at spring regulating stop screws.

Fig. 6 is a plan view similar to Fig. 4 of a somewhat different construction with the picker stick in the position Yit assumes after being pulled outward by the foot spring.

Fig. 7 shows one side of the construction shown in Fig. 6, after the parts have come to rest with a latch which checks any further inward movement of the bumper.

Fig. 8 is a plan view, partly` in section, showing a type of spring bolt or :Spring latch which is slightly different from the one shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a detail showing another type of spring latch which can be used.

Fig. 10 is a detail, as from the side of Fig. 8 to show the bracket and adjustment for my device.

Fig. 11 is a section as on line I l--II of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, there is shown a loom having a magazine H carried by and fixed to a frame F and with a lay S movable back and forth from back to front, the lay including a beam I with a race 2 on which is a shuttle box 3 together with a shuttle binder 4 which may be of the usual spring type with a spring 41, the binder being in position on the shuttle box 3. There is also a picker stick guide slot 5 for a picker stick P which extends through and is guided 'more or less in slot 5 and which either carries or operates a picker B movable with and by the picker stick tol engage and to be engaged by a shuttle D and to pick the shuttle back and forth from side to side on the loom along the race 2.

There is also. a power strap i0 which supports a lug strap I9 both being of the usual type and to, move the picker stick toward the inside of the loom on the picking stroke,

There is. also a foot springv II'I to pullv the picker stick back when it `is released by the lug strap.

It is very necessary that for transfer, the shuttle should be exactly in the right position in its box and it is highly desirable that the shuttle should not rebound beyond a certain predetermined point.

Fig. 1 shows a rotary magazine I-I, known as a battery, but my device can be used on any type of loom in which there is a pickery stick. It is not as necessary on a loom which is not equipped with bobbin replacing devices as inone equipped with bobbin transfer mechanism.

It is also desirable that the. picker stick should be smoothly guided in its slot and I accomplish this by means, of my picker check and positioning device indicated in l. to 11 by A. This includes the frame 59 having. a frontf side l2 and a back side I3 together with a closed or outer side I4 which connects them. This frame 59 and device A is supported under the lay beam by hangers C, C which comprise a front member U and a similar back member, there being horlzontal slots such as 5I through which a suitable adjusting screw 52 passes so that the hanger can be moved back and forth in and out for adjustment. See Fig. 10.

As shown, there may be also one or more washers 53 ybetween the head 54 of a screw and frame 59 so that the hangers C, C with my picker stick check can be adjusted from front to back, if necessary.

There are along the front and back sides I2 and I3 the guideways 22 and 23 along which a bumper B with a head I5is slidable. This bumper head I5 is carried by rod I6 which extends through the end of the frame and has on the outer side an adjusting member, shown as a nut I1, and a bumper spring I8 between the bumper head I5 and the end I4.

As shown in Fig. 11, bumper head I5 comprises top and bottom parts 2| and 24, sides 25 and 26 and picker stick contact part 21, preferably padded at 28, as see Fig. 6.

I provide also two flat leaf spring side members L and M each adjustably attached on the inside end of a frame side I2 or I3 at 32 and 33. These flat leaf springs converge towards their ends 38 and 39 which are preferably bent away from each other. At times, they may be almost parallel as at 35 and 31 in the position shown in Fig. 4.

Extending through each side I2 or I3 is a regulating stop screw N or O, the end of which is proximate the outside of a flat spring L or M. These stop screws preferably are so adjusted that when a picker stick moves in between the flat springs and reaches a position opposite to them, as shown in Fig. 4, it will just fit with a snug tight it, the screws preferably being so positioned however that when the stick is driven outward by the impact of a shuttle, they will allow the ends 38 and 39 to yield away from each other.

The parts are so adjusted that the bumper head I 5 is close to these regulating screws so that when the stick P is between the screws, it will yalso touch or almost touch the bumper head I5.

Fig. 3 shows diagrammatically the position of the stick relative to the springs before it is pulled back or during the time when it is being pulled back by the foot spring II and Fig. 4 shows the stick in the position where it is normally left and where it should be left before the shuttle strikes the picker.

Fig. 5 shows the extreme position or at rest position which the stick assumes when the impact of the shuttle is exhausted by the force of the shuttle binder 4, the flat springs L and M and the bumper spring I 8.

In this construction, the picker stick P is locked, held or pinched between the ends 38 and 39 of the flat springs L, M which hug it closely beyond stops O and N and by them and bumper spring I 8, it is brought to rest at the desired position. I may adjust stops O and N in various ways or I can omit them entirely and the tips of ends 38 and 39 can be shaped like hooks.

While to make a positive stop with this construction, I may use fixed or adjustable stops such as shown at 48, 48, on frame sides I2 and I3 in Fig. 5, I nd I can omit the regulating stop screws O and N or, as shown in Figs. 6 to 10, I can use latches, preferably spring latches, such as G, G, Figs. 6, 7, 11, carried by the sides 25 and 26 of bumper head I5 and -operated by the movement of fiat springs M and L with angular tips 55, 56v

and bumper B.

As shown in Fig. 11, these latches G, G, include a bolt 4I slidable in a casing 42, each being pressed towards a flat spring L or M by a compression spring 43, shown in Fig. 6. The outer end of each bolt 4I is bevelled at 44 so that when the bumper head I5 is moved outward, this bevelled end 44 engages an outwardly curved end 38 or 39 of a spring L or M, the bevel 44 will force the bolt 4I back against its spring 43 until it clears the end of the fiat spring whereupon it will spring behind it as shown in Fig. 7.

The pin 45 .in slot 48, Fig. l1, keeps the bevel 44 in the right position to ride over such an outward end of a spring and also limits the movement of bolt 4I.

As shown in Fig. 8, the tip end 88 of a at spring can be in a much flatter curve than 38 or 39 so that a bolt or cap 8| with a fiat end of a suitable latch with a stud 83 will simply slide along right over the end, and then drop back of it fixing the point of rest of the stick. 84 is a spring, 82 a stop pin passing through a slot 85 so that spring 84 cannot push cap 8| olf stud 83 when in the position shown by the dotted lines outside an end 88.

The construction with no latch is excellent, but all parts must be carefully adjusted to bring the stick to rest at exactly the right position or else dead stops 48, 49 must be used, but with a latch of the type which has a bolt slidable along the outside of a flat spring until it gets beyond the outward turned out end, it is not objectionable, but even desirable that the picker stick, picker and shuttle should all travel slightly beyond the desired stopping point so that the bumper spring will gently bring them all back to exactly the right position where the latches will hold them.

As shown in Fig. 9, instead of a latch of this type, I can use an L-shaped latch R pivoted at 68 to a bracket GI, fixed on a frame side as 12 of frame 59 with one arm 62 which, when an adjustable regulating pin 64 carried by another arm B3 is engaged by a fiat spring such as M when its end 38' is moved outward, serves as a positive stop on the action of the bumper spring I8. A spring 65 returns latch R from the locking position shown in the dotted lines when end 38 springs back to its normal full line position when picker stick P moves inward when caused to pick by the lug strap. This last device will permit a small amount of rebound as well as the other type of bolt latch G.

It is desirable that flat springs such as L and M should be adjustable and I accomplish this as shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 10 by means of bolts such as 88 and 98, to which one end of L or M lis fastened and which run through slots such as 89 or 81 and are locked in place as by nuts 89 and 9|.

18 is a filling block Welded at 1I to a side as I2 and a hanger C is fixed to it by screws 12, 12.

I claim:

1. The combination with an automatic bobbin transferring loom having a magazine carried by the loom frame and a lay movable from back to front and including a lay beam with a shuttle race, a shuttle box and a shuttle binder positioned on the shuttle box and including a picker stick guide slot, a picker stick extending through said slot and a picker movable with and by the picker stick to engage the shuttle and to pick the shuttle on the race from one side to the other side of the loom, there being a lug strap to move the picker stick towards the inside of the loom and a foot spring to pull the picker stick back when released by the lug strap; of a check and positioning device for the picker stick which includes, a frame having a front side, a back side, and a closed outside end which connects them, means to ad justably position the frame of the device under the lay beam with the Dicker stick in position between the front and the back sides, oppositely disposed guideways along the sides, a bunter slidable in thev guideways, a rod attached to the bunter and slidable through the end of the frame, an adjusting member for the rod and a bunter spring carried by the rod between the bunter and the end of the frame, two flat leaf side spring members, one end of each attached to a side of the frame proximate its inside end, and with their free ends extending towards the outside of the loom and converging until engaged by a picker stick, there being an adjusting screw positioned between each side of the frame and the median part of each leaf spring and a latch operable by the movement of the free end of a leaf spring when engaged or disengaged by a picker stick to hold the bunter in a predetermined position.

2. The combination with an automatic bobbin transferring loom having a magazine carried by the loom frame and a lay movable from back to front and including a lay beam with a shuttle race, a shuttle box and a shuttle binder positioned on the shuttle box and including a picker stick guide slot, a picker stick extending through said slot and a picker movable with and by the picker stick to engage the shuttle and to pick the shuttle on the race from one side to the other side of the loom, there being a lug strap to move the picker stick towards the inside of the loom and a foot spring to pull the picker stick back when released by the lug strap; of a check and positioning device for the picker stickwhich includes a frame having a iront side, a back side, and a closed outside end which connects them, means to adjustably position the frame of the device under the lay beam with the picker stick in position between the front and the back sides, oppositely disposed guideways along the sides, a bunter slidable in the guideways, a rod attached to the bunter and slidabl-e through the end of the frame, an adjusting member for the rod and a bunter spring carried by the rod between the bunter and the end of the frame, two flat leaf side` spring members, one end of each attached to a side of the frame proximate its inside end,

and with their free ends extendingY vtowards the i outside of the loom and converging until engaged by a picker stick, there being an adjusting screw positioned between each side of the frame and the median part of each leaf spring.

3. The combination with an automatic bobbin transferring loom having a magazine carried by the loom frame and a lay movable from back to front and including a lay beam witha shuttle race, a shuttle box and a shuttle binder positioned on the shuttle box and including a picker stick guide slot, a picker stick extending through said slot and a picker'rnovable withand by the picker stick to engage the shuttle and to pick, the shuttle on the race from one side to the other side of the loom, there being a lug strap to move the picker stick towards the inside of the loom and a foot spring to pull the picker stick back when released by the lug strap; of a check and positioning device for the picker stick which in,- cludes a frame having a front side, a. back side, and a closed outside end which connects them, means to position the frame of the device under the lay beam with the picker stick in position between the iront and the back sides, oppositely disposed guideways along the sides, a bunter slidable in the guideways, a rod attached to the bunter and sli'dable through the end of the frame, a bunter spring carried by the rod between the bunter and the end of the frame, two hat leaf side spring members, one end of each attached to a side of the frame proximate its inside end, and with their free ends extending towards the outside of the loom and converging until engaged by a pickerstick.

` 4. The combination with an automatic bobbin transferring loom having a magazine carried by the loom frame and a lay movable from .back to iront and including a lay beam with a shuttle race, a shuttle box and a shuttle binder positioned on the shuttle box, a picker stick and a picker movable with and by the picker stick to engage the shuttle and to pick the shuttle on the race from one side to the other side of the loom, there being means to move the picker stick to wards the inside of the loom and means to pull the picker stick back when released; of a check and positioning device for the picker stick which includes a bunter positioned under the lay beam outside the picker stick, including a head carried by a rod and a spring to force it towards the outside of the picker stick, and two dat leaf side spring members, the inner end of each being attached under the lay beam and extending outward on each side of the picker stick with their free ends extending toward the outside of the loom, passing the head of the bunter and converging when not engaged by a picker stick.

5. The combination with a loom having a lay movable from back to front and including a shuttle race, a shuttle box and a shuttle binder, a picker stick and a picker movable with and by the picker stick to engage the shuttle and to pick the shuttle on the race from one side to the other side of the loom, there being means to move the picker stick towards the inside of the loom and means to pull the picker stick back when released; of a check and positioning device for the picker stick which includes a bunter positioned under the lay beam outside the picker stick, the bunter including a head carried by a rod and a spring to force it towards the outside of the picker stick,v and two fiat leaf side spring members, the inner end of each being attached below the shuttle box and extending outward on each side of the picker stick with their free ends extending toward the outside of the loom, passing the head of the bunter and converging when not engaged by .a picker stick,

JOHN L. PRATT.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Geoghegan Apr. 17, 1928 Number 

